Infection cautious Parrikar addresses first media briefing in three months

Panaji, June 18 (IANS) Strategically seated behind a stanchion barrier, Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Monday addressed his first formal press conference in months, on his return from the US, where he was undergoing advanced treatment for pancreatic cancer.

Wearing his trademark half-sleeved shirt, Parrikar, during the briefing at the State Secretariat, also explained the protocol he had followed to conduct government business during his stay in the US from March to June 15, when he returned to Goa.

“If you have got cough and cold, stay away from me. This is just to prevent infection,” he told reporters first up as he entered the conference room at the State Secretariat. He also instructed his entourage that the stanchion barriers, which separated him from the media contingent, be taken off for subsequent media briefings.